Newsroom

TORONTO, Dec. 8, 2005 – The Canadian Nurses Foundation
(CNF) in collaboration with the Registered Nurses’ Association
of Ontario (RNAO) and University of Ottawa, today announced two
winning research studies aimed at improving excellence in nursing
care across Canada. The studies, funded by CNF’s Nursing Care
Partnership program, through a Canadian Health Services Research
Foundation grant, will examine the impact of RNAO’s Nursing
Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs). Best Practice Guidelines are proactive
evidence-based clinical and education tools, which provide specific
strategies for nurses and other health-care providers to ensure
the highest quality of patient care.

“Our ongoing collaboration with the Canadian Nurses Foundation
offers us a great research opportunity to learn how to best implement
our proactive guidelines in a variety of health-care settings to
improve nursing practice and patient care,” says RNAO’s
Best Practice Guidelines Program director, Tazim Virani.

Last spring, the Canadian Nurses Foundation, in collaboration with
RNAO and University of Ottawa, sent out a request for research proposals
to study RNAO’s BPGs across the country. CNF’s Nursing
Care Partnership program offers up to $30,000 per project, with
matching funding provided by the sponsoring health-care organization.

The two successful applications (of five) were chosen on the basis
of a rigorous and objective merit review process. They are:

Does changing nursing practice improve patient outcomes?, led
by principal investigators Judith Ritchie and Patricia O’Connor,
will examine the introduction of RNAO’s BPGs across five
sites at Montreal’s McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
The guidelines are focused on reducing pain, injuries related
to falls, and skin breakdown. This study will look at the impact
of these guidelines on how patients recover and heal; how they
change or improve nursing practice; and the most effective ways
of introducing widespread organizational change. The Research
Institute of MUHC is providing the matching funding for the research
project. The Montreal Regional Health Board is funding the work
reorganization aspects of the project.

The second study, Tailoring RNAO’s BPGs for the Bereavement
Context, is led by principal investigators Ariella Lang and Fabie
Duhamel. This study, co-funded by the Victorian Order of Nurses
(VON) Canada, will tailor two of RNAO’s BPGs aimed at establishing
a therapeutic relationship with bereaved patients and families.
This research project will assist VON in establishing the skills
and supports community nursing staff need to provide high quality
care and support to individuals and families who have lost a loved
one. Research for this study will be conducted in Nova Scotia.

“The research generated by the competition aligns perfectly
with the Canadian Nurses Foundation’s priorities, including
a focus on applied practice-based research, conducted in care settings,
and fully supported by health organizations,” says CNF’s
executive director, Linda Piazza.

CNF, through a partnership with the Nursing Best Practice Research
Unit (RNAO and University of Ottawa) is also supporting another
BPG-related study – Clinical Outcomes and Long-term Use of
Research Evidence in Nursing, led by principal investigators Kathryn
Smith Huguchi and Barbara Davies. The study will involve nine health
organizations across Ontario. The research team, involving nursing
and epidemiology, will look at the long-term impact on nursing practice
of implementing BPGs.

RNAO’s ambitious BPG program, funded by the Ministry of Health
and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), was launched in 1999 to improve nursing
care across a wide spectrum of health-care areas. The 29 guidelines
to date are available online and in print and cover five broad clinical
areas including: emergency care, gerontology, home health care,
mental health, and primary health care.

The Canadian Nurses Foundation was founded in 1962 with a grant
from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The organization is committed
to enhancing nursing knowledge,
leading to better patient outcomes, through the provision of research
grants and scholarships.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario is the professional
association representing registered nurses in Ontario. Since 1925,
RNAO has lobbied for healthy public policy, promoted excellence
in nursing practice, increased nurses’ contribution to shaping
the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses
and the public they serve.

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To learn more about RNAO’s Best Practice Guidelines Program,
please visit: http://rnao.ca/bpg.